In addition to settling insurance claims the insurance industry is also strongly committed to raising charitable funds for victims of Hurricane Harvey.

The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF), a nonprofit organization that unites the insurance industry in helping communities and enriching lives through grants, volunteer service and leadership, has established a Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief Fund to assist victims affected by this catastrophic storm.

Within 24 hours of establishing the IICF Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief Fund, nearly $80,000 has already been committed by those in the insurance industry. John Vasturia, President, Specialty Markets, Munich Reinsurance America and IICF Board of Governors Chair, noted that, “Through IICF, we are able to very quickly unite our efforts in collecting donations, and distribute to local nonprofits in the Texas communities who will be able to help families across the region in a very real and meaningful way.”

IICF will collect and report on the total of all donations made through this fund, and forward 100% of these insurance industry contributions to the local nonprofits assisting victims in the area, including the American Red Cross and specifically its Hurricane Harvey disaster fund. Donations can made by clicking here.

The USAA Foundation, Inc. has pledged to assist the Hurricane Harvey rescue and recovery efforts with a $1 million grant. In addition to the grant from the Foundation, USAA introduced a donation program for its 32,000 employees worldwide, committing to matching their contributions, dollar for dollar, up to a total of $150,000. That total was met in less than six hours, so the matching grant was boosted Wednesday to $500,000, raising the potential contribution from USAA and its employees to at least $1 million, on top of the $1 million pledge from The Foundation. Other insurance companies that are raising funds for Hurricane Harvey victims include: The NationwideFoundation, which is giving $500,000 to Red Cross Disaster Relief and State Farm which is matching employee donations through its Matching Gift Program.

If you work for an insurance company or trade group that is raising funds for Hurricane Harvey victims please let us know about it by emailing marias@iii.org

The biggest threat to recovery after a natural disaster is the mass of people who are unprepared for it. After every single tornado, hurricane or flood, the media easily find people who have been impacted by the event, and they invariable say nearly the same thing: “I never saw it get this bad before.” Sure, seeing is believing. But even then it’s not enough. Those who’ve been through a devastating event think it can never happen to them twice. Until it does.

Is there a cure for complacency? Yes, there is  and it is to take action. At an insurance industry meeting this week, a weather expert from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) mentioned an odd-sounding term: “Reasonable Worst-Case Scenario.” A first impression is that seems like two extremes. Is it reasonable, or is it the worst? But think about it as the weather experts and disaster-planning experts do: It’s what could reasonably happen with a direct hit from a powerful storm. And, don’t think about it too hard. DO something to fight the complacency that makes you think it won’t happen to you.

Here’s how to approach it: Think about your particular situation if a powerful storm were to hit your area two months from now. That’s a reasonable timeframe because peak hurricane season starts in mid-August. Think through what would happen if your house was a pile of rubble, your belongings were strewn down the block and the neighborhood leveled with an expectation that things would not be back to normal for months. Pretend that happened  and work backward to what you wished you would have done NOW to make THAT somewhat easier to survive physically and financially.

We’ve got the tools to help you. But only one person can make you do it  and it’s the person reading this article. Be resilient, Florida.